In early December, Camas Meadows Bible Camp heats up the lodge and gets the cocoa ready for former summer staff who wish to bring their own children to play in the snow.

There is tubing “The Hill,” building snow forts, starting snowball fights, and all manner of winter time fun.

Sure, it’s a bit chilly. But the whoosh of snow in one’s face is well worth the rush and excitement of thundering down the tube hill at full speed.

It is hard work though, and sometimes one must pause to catch a breath and take in the beauty around them.

Here, families carry their inner tubes up the steep hill, getting ready for the speedy trip down.

Ready, Set, Go!

Once the shivering sets in, Mom or Dad can take chilly young ones into the lodge for a warm drink and a snack.

We also enjoyed some indoor activities as well. Consider all of these amazing structures that campers built with Kapla blocks.

Yes, much building occurred. As well as fighting, but the good kind!

Nerf fighting!

Everyone got a chance to shoot someone, especially their parents!

A quick lesson in making puffballs for hats was a big hit. Thank you Pippi!

There is always time to make a furry friend.

And of course one is never too old for games!

This one is Pitch Car. Besides this, many card and board games were enjoyed. Some books were even read, while the reader curled up by the crackling fire, with a cup of cocoa, watching her rowdy sons play games with their dad. Yes, the board games and family fun were enjoyed by one and all.

Boo Boo

Yes, it has been a long and arduous journey, but the new roof is finally on the main lodge!

There were many setbacks and difficulties, but through the assistance of good friends along the way, the mission was accomplished.

Sure, they had to sweep some snow off the roof to finish, but the whole thing looks lovely. Even Princess Leia Freyja approves.

Now, we can enjoy the snowfall, knowing that the roof is solid and ready for every glorious fake and drift.

In addition to the roof, we finished scrubbing the logs on the Mountain Panther cabin and then put on a nice red-tinted oil finish that will protect the wood for years to come.

Here are some finished logs next to the old ones.

It definitely brings out the natural beauty of the wood, as well as protecting the building from our harsh winters.

So many people jumped into this project. Scruffy spent many many hours as well as each of our boys and various folks from work retreat campers to kitchen crew.

Their hard work has finally paid off and as winter blows in across the mountains, it is good to know that Mt. Panther is not only lovely with a fresh coat of finish, but well protected from both sun and snow.

Thank you so much to everyone who gave their time, money, sweat, and blood to each of these projects. Your love and hard work is greatly appreciated! Campers will be enjoying these improvements for years to come. With the fresh snow and blustery weather, it is so good to be able to come inside and thaw out somewhere safe and warm after a hard day of play out in the beauty of God’s creation.

Boo Boo

When the first weekend in November rolls around, one or two board games can be found here and there lying about on various shelves at the camp.

There are also occasional stacks of board games on tables, on the floor in distant corners, and of course on the new shelve above the firewood box. What has happened? Why the sudden migration of games in a Camasward direction?

Did I fail to mention that these games were accompanied by sixty boardgamers all revved up and ready to sit in their chairs for the next 3-5 days strategizing on how best to save the world/take over the world/grow lots of vegetables/beat Scruffy regardless of what happens to the world in various epic showdowns that take anywhere from fifteen minutes to eleven hours to complete?

Yes, CamasCon is our camp for Christian boardgamers, wherein they spend an entire extended weekend playing games, meeting other gamers from around the area, and worshiping the Lord together during chapel times. They also get to eat, but very carefully! No one wants pizza grease on all those teeny tiny pieces!

One of the more difficult parts of the weekend is choosing the next game to play. With so many options and so many different people to play with, the choices can become mind boggling.

Should one choose a quick game that non-gamers to join, or maybe a themed game featuring superheros; zombies; dinosaur theme parks; or large grizzly bears that have saddles and can be ridden, or perhaps that epic eleven hour march through history that no one else has ever been willing to play with you … until now!

Once a game is chosen, say Terraforming Mars, it is time to find one to five other people who also wish to play that very game.

Sometimes this means switching games a couple times until you find a winner.

There are just so many options.

A game that piques your interest and people excited to play it with you, the perfect match!

These teenage gamers are finding out whether the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, or Feringi will rule the universe.

There is also the famous Camas Meadows Settlers of Catan Tournament which had two preliminary rounds and one final match. These four talented gamers battled it out in the final game, with ‘Merica (on the far left) taking home the win.

Another enjoyable aspect of CamasCon is seeing all of the different kinds of games that campers bring to play together.

Look at all of these fascinating miniatures.

Our chapel sessions were brought to us by baseball-card-and-ultimate-frisbee-geek, Mike Rumleywells, who was also a missionary in Nicaragua until this year.

CamasCon is also a great time to hang out with both new friends and those you love most in all the world.

Of course if a camper happens to stay up way way way too late finishing that epic game or world-shaking import… there is also plenty of time for a nap and a furry friend who is ever willing to join in.

October brings in chilly wind and creeping mists, changing leaves, and the knowledge that the brilliant bright summer is fading and the sparkling glory of winter is just around the corner. It is an in between time, but also a season of unique beauty. For me and a few other writers as well, October means that it’s time to step away from our hectic lives and make creative endeavors a priority.

It begins with breakfast on the first Friday of October. Writers at all different stages gather together with one goal in mind. Push away the voices that say we can’t and do our very best to simply write. We are writers after all. Even if the words aren’t great, their ours, and the vow this weekend is to get them down and learn to make them better.

The weather in early October is often gorgeous, but even when it is cool and drizzly, the beauty of the forest and small mountain meadow that waits just below the lodge are inspiring.

When the weather cooperates, writers can take long walks through the forest, enjoying the bright yellow of aspen leaves and the crunch of dry meadow grass underfoot. When the fog creeps in and the temperatures drop, the fire is always crackling in the main lodge and a warm scone and cup of cocoa await.

Without having to worry about cooking meals, doing laundry, toiling behind a desk, or driving busy children to and from various activities, The Mountain Muse is a weekend to refresh the spirit out in God’s lovely creation and pour our hearts out onto the page with hours of time to create.

Short sessions follow each delicious meal, just in case writer’s need something to jump start their creativity. But we don’t hold you up for long. The vast amount of the day is left open, so that writers can simply write.

The weekend was designed for writers, but as you can see from some of the lovely scenery photos featured, creatives of many different types enjoy the chance to get away. Our visiting photographer enjoyed getting out into the forest, taking some time to read, and seeing what a few moments to enjoy the peaceful forest can do for the soul.

Did I mention that all is not silence at The Mountain Muse? Yes, writers love to talk, especially to other writers. The only folks who can sit through a conversation with us about character motivation, sensory detail, and exactly how to get that villain through airport security without thinking we are crazy or delusional.

Much brainstorming occurred and our mascot, Princess Leia Freyja, was ever present. Always willing to lend an encouraging paw.

Writers of various ages and stages in their journey joined us, from young teens to Grandmas.

A highlight was the nighttime campfire, where we gathered to roast marshmallows and eat s’mores and take in the vast starry host above.

From letting ideas simmer in the company of like-minded folk, to getting the words down on the page for the first time, to editing manuscripts written in years past, every stage of the writing process was represented.

There are times when a writer must push creativity to the back burner and get all those vital bits of life done and done well. But there are those moments when you realize that creativity is also a vital part of being alive. We were blessed with the chance to take a moment to renew the spirit, to walk in the forest, to put pen to page, and pour forth words.

Whether our words shone with the skill of expert prose or the passion of a beginners first effort, there is a glory in making the attempt to create. Just like the one in whose image we have been made. The one who made humanity, our own desire to create, and the glorious world around us, so long ago.

Boo Boo